Midnight Scrum: How it should have ended
by QueenAurora
Summary: Contains SPOILERS for RTTE! This is my take on the episode Midnight Scrum, how I think it should have ended.


_For all of you who haven't seen the new season of Race to the Edge, STOP! This story contains SPOILERS for one of the episodes. You could read this first, but the best thing would be to go watch the episodes, and then come back to it._

 _For all of you who have seen the new season and enjoyed it, this is how my friend and I feel the episode Midnight Scrum should have ended. Now, I will not be recapping the entire episode, that would be plain foolish, but I have used the last few minutes, changed them a bit, and then added my own interpretation to the end._

 _That being said, this story comes from the fantasy of me and my friend, it's not how they wrote and animated it (though we think they should have), so please, keep that in mind when reading this and watching the episodes, so you don't confuse the two._

 _Enjoy!_

 **Midnight Scrum: How it should have ended**

Stoick narrowed his eyes as they neared Ryker, Hiccup limp over his shoulder. Toothless growled before shooting a single plasma blast at the man's feet, causing him to fall. Ryker was back on his feet in a matter of seconds, but Hiccuo stayed down, his eyes closed, a small stream of blood trickling down his temple. Stoick and Toothless landed, the dragon growling, wings flared.

"You get him Toothless," Stoick said, pointing his axe at the man who had dared to take his son from him.

Toothless roared and ran forward, ready to attack, but Ryker had pulled a barely conscious Hiccup to his feet and was holding him up, drawing one of his swords. Toothless fired a single plasmablast at the man, which hit the sword, flinging it from his hand. With a surprised gasp Ryker pushed Hiccup down and stepped back, just when Toothless fired a second plasmablast at him. It took his arm guard off with clean precision, and a third shot from the dragon did the same with the other one. A fourth blast knocked one of the hunter's shoulder guards off, and Ryker fell back, already moving to get back on his feet when Toothless stopped in front of him, roaring, a purple glow at the back of his throat.

"No! Don't!" Ryker pleaded, pulling back, deadly afraid of the angry dragon.

Just before he could release the fire, Stoick came up next to the dragon, placing a hand on his head.

"It's alright Toothless," he said, stroking the scales some, "we got him."

Toothless shut his mouth and looked up at Stoick, crooning softly. When Stoick stepped away to go to his son, Toothless turned back to Ryker, growling at him as the man flinched in fear. A small gasp from Hiccup drew his attention away from the hunter, and he cooed, bouncing over, nuzzling his rider. Hiccup smiled weakly as Toothless licked his face, pushing the dragon away.

"Good to see you too bud..." he mumbled, rubbing the soft scales.

In the mean time Ryker had gotten back to his feet, rubbing his arm, but before he could do anything, Stoick had grabbed him, holding him securely.

"I want you to deliver a message to Viggo," the Chief growled, glaring at the man, "you put a bounty on one of us, you get ALL of us."

Ryker's eyes widened, but before he could reply, Stoick's fist swung and collided with his chin, sending him spinning before he fell, out cold from the blow.

"Ah..." Stoick said with a grin, rubbing his knuckles, "well that felt good."

He went back to Hiccup, who was still sitting on the ground, now rubbing Toothless' chin. The dragon glanced at his leg sadly, the prosthetic now gone, and Astrid landed, rushing over.

"Hiccup, your leg" she said breathlessly, "are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Hiccup said, his voice a little raspy, "lets just go home..."

She nodded and helped him up, leading him to Stormfly. She helped him in the saddle, looking at him, frowning when she saw the way he had his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, "maybe you should sit in front..."

"No, no... I'm okay," Hiccup said with a soft groan, "you need to steer Stormfly... I'll be alright, really."

"Let's go then," Stoick said, mounting Toothless again, since Hiccup was unable to fly the dragon without his prosthetic, "before any of these fools wake up and try to stop us."

Astrid nodded and climbed onto Stormfly, making sure Hiccup had his arms around her before she gave the dragon the command to take off, but gently. Hiccup was leaning on her, and she could feel his chest heaving with every breath he took. It worried her. She had seen the punch Ryker had landed on his chest, and she suspected he had some broken or bruised ribs, which probably made breathing quite painful. None of them saw how Ryker opened his eyes, frowning when he saw them leaving. None of them saw how he swiftly pulled a hidden dagger from his boot, throwing it with all his might. Astrid was the only one who heard Hiccup's soft gasp, before slumping against her back. She glanced back, but could only see his hair as his head rested on her shoulder.

0-0-0-0-0-0

It was nightfall by the time they reached Berk, the torches lit, and most Vikings inside. Astrid had been flying at the back of the group for a while, having felt how Hiccup slumped against her back some time ago. She had Stormfly land carefully, seeing Stoick and Toothless waiting for them outside the Chief's house, the others next to them. The Nadder had barely put her feet down or Hiccup slipped off her back, hitting the ground with a _thud_ , but he didn't move at all. It was relatively dark where they were, a single torch the only source of light.

"Hiccup?" she asked, slipping down as well, kneeling at his side, "Hiccup? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

He didn't answer, didn't even react when she put a hand on his shoulder and shook him. Stoick came over, followed by Toothless. The others crowded around them as well, watching worriedly.

"Hiccup, son," Stoick said, shaking him as well, "wake up son, we're home..."

Hiccup groaned and shuddered, his eyes fluttering open. He tried to move, whimpering a little, and Stoick stopped him.

"Easy son," he said softly, "where does it hurt... tell me where it hurts."

"B...back..." Hiccup whispered barely audible, shuddering, "hurts..."

"Your back?" Astrid asked frowning as she remembered how he had holding his chest earlier, "are you sure?"

"Astrid..." Stoick said, giving her a look while he slipped his hand under Hiccup's shoulder, "just help me."

Hiccup whimpered when they pulled him into a sitting position, one of Stoick's hands resting on his chest to support him. Astrid gasped, staring at the dagger that had lodged itself into Hiccup's back, his tunic soaked with blood. Stoick stared at it as well, and she heard Fishlegs gasp.

"Oh Thor..." she whispered, "Hiccup, why didn't you say anything! I thought you had fallen asleep!"

"Someone go get Gothi!"Stoick shouted as he pulled Hiccup against his chest, gently stroking his hair, "you'll be alright Hiccup, you'll be okay..."

The other riders scrambled to get on their dragons, racing to Gothi's hut. Astrid stayed behind, watching Hiccup worriedly, seeing him shiver.

"Lets get you inside," Stoick said and he carefully lifted his son in his arms, "Astrid, can you open the door?"

She nodded hastily and got up, almost running to the door to open it. Toothless followed close behind, sadly nuzzling Hiccup's hand. Stoick brought him inside, carrying him up the steps and just as he put him down on the bed, the other riders came back, accompanied by Gothi. She gestured all of them out, bonking Snotlout on the head when he refused to leave, and chasing Toothless out of the room as well.

"Gothi..." Astrid said, but the small woman looked at her with a stern look, and she nodded a little, leaving as well. Just before she closed the door she glanced back at Hiccup, seeing his pale face and laboured breathing, the blood that had soaked into his tunic. Gothi shut the door resolutely, leaving them to wait.

"He'll be okay right?" Fishlegs asked nervously, "I mean... he's Hiccup..."

"Why didn't he say something..." Astrid whispered, "we could have flown faster, we should have flown faster. What if he dies... it'll be my fault!"

"No Astrid," Stoick said, trying to calm an anguished Toothless, "it's not your fault. If we blame someone, we must blame Ryker and Viggo. They put the bounty on him, they caused this... if I get my hands on them..."

He slammed his fist on the table, startling them all. He sighed, looking down slightly. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," Heather said, "we're all worried."

Stoick nodded to her, still trying to calm Toothless, who kept pulling towards the stairs that led up to Hiccup's loft. The time seemed to have slowed to a crawl, every minute feeling like an eternity. The morning was dawning when Gothi finally came down again, looking exhausted. She looked at them and headed outside, scribbling in the dirt.

"I don't know what that means..." Stoick said, "someone get Gobber."

"No, Chief.. I got this..." Fishlegs said as he stepped forward, "I've been learning."

"Well!?" Stoick snapped as he gestured at Gothi's scribbles, "what does she say!"

Fishlegs yelped a little and hurried over as fast as his legs could carry him, looking at her scribbles.

"She says he's lost a lot of blood, but that he'll be fine," he said, frowning, "the blade missed his spine and lodged itself into his shoulderblade."

"Oh thank Thor..." Stoick mumbled, looking at Toothless, "you hear that dragon? He'll be alright."

"She also says that he's got several broken ribs, a light concussion and a..." Fishlegs frowned, looking at the old woman, "bruised... eh... throat. He'll need to stay in bed for at least a few weeks."

"he won't like that," Astrid said, "you know Hiccup... he'll think of everyone else before himself."

"Gothi," Stoick said, respectfully looking at the village elder, "how is he now? Can we see him?"

The old woman watched him for a moment, then scribbled in the dust again.

"She says he's sleeping," Fishlegs said, "and she says that we can go see him, as long as we don't wake him."

The last word had barely left his mouth, or Stoick and the riders ran back into the house, almost getting stuck in the doorway. They were pushing and pulling, just to get through, until Stoick stopped them with a thundering shout.

"This is MY house," he said, his eyes glaring darkly, "Hiccup is MY son. I will go in, and Astrid will come with me. The rest of you, stay."

Toothless whined, crawling closer to the Viking Chief, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Stoick sighed a little, nodding.

"Yes Toothless, you can come as well. But the rest stays here, is that understood?"

"Thank you," Astrid said softly as she followed Stoick inside.

The man didn't answer, simply walking up the steps and going into the room. She followed silently, stopping when she saw Stoick sit next to Hiccup, tenderly brushing some hair from his forehead. Even from where she stood she saw that he was pale, dark bruises forming on his throat, as if someone had tried to strangle him. There was a cut on his forehead, and bandages had been wrapped around his torso. Toothless pushed past her, whimpering softly as he placed his head on Hiccup's legs, watching his rider.

She took a deep breath and went to his other side, hesitant to take his hand but eventually doing so anyway. He was colder than he normally was, but still warm and that reassured her a little. They stayed at his side, silent, for most of the day until Stoick sighed.

"Will you stay with him?" he asked, "I have some duties to attend to that can't wait any longer. I won't be gone for long, just a few hours, but it would help if I knew someone was with him."

"I"ll stay," she said, "absolutely. And if anything changes, I'll send Stormfly to come get you.

Stoick nodded and got up. It was clear to her that the man didn't want to leave his son, but that the duties he described were important, and couldn't wait any longer.

"I'll be here Chief," she said, "I won't leave him alone."

"Yes..." Stoick said, "thank you Astrid.

The man left, leaving the door open only slightly, and when she heard the front door close, she moved closer to Hiccup, holding his hand in her own. She watched him for a while, his pale face a stark contrast with his auburn hair, and she found herself running her fingers trough the messy strands.

"Hiccup..." she started, sighing deeply and shaking her head, "what am I doing... he probably can't even hear me..."

She brushed some hair away from the cut, running a thumb over it lightly. It was already scabbing over, no longer bleeding, but the small red line stood out on his skin. She shuddered when she remembered the amount of blood that had soaked into his tunic, and she mentally kicked herself for thinking he had simply fallen asleep.

"Dammit Hiccup..." she mumbled, "why didn't you say anything... you could have died you idiot..."

Toothless crooned softly and she sighed a little, looking at the dragon. "I know it's not my fault Toothless, but it doesn't make it any easier..."

She looked down on his hands, now seeing that his knuckles were bruised and red, even slightly swollen. There were also bandages around his wrists, covering the raw areas where the rope had dug into his skin. She hesitated, looking around as if to check that they were really alone, then she slowly kissed his hand, pressing it against her cheek.

After what felt like hours she let go of his hand, gently setting it on his chest before pulling the blanket up to cover him completely. The room was getting colder and she knew that if she was cold, Hiccup would definitely be cold. She stood over him, one hand resting on the pillow beside his head as she watched him sleep. His breathing had evened out a bit but was still shallow. She lightly brushed her fingers over his cheek, then tenderly kissed his forehead.

"Promise me one thing Hiccup Haddock," she whispered, "you have to survive, okay? Just promise me you'll be okay..."

Hiccup didn't answer, he didn't even react and she sighed, pulling away and sitting down again. She looked around the room a little, finding that night was falling. The room was getting darker quickly, and she got up, stretching her back and legs, and went to find a candle to light. She set it down on the bedside table, next to the basin that was filled with water. She dipped her hand in it, finding that it was cold and decided to get some warm water. She took the basin downstairs, emptying it into the kettle that was above the fire, and simply waited. After a short while she took the kettle and filled the basin with the now steaming water, and took it back upstairs, careful not to spill a single drop. She knew that the hot water would serve two purposes. The steam would heat the room a little, and when she needed it, the water would be there.

"I expected Stoick to be back by now," she said, more to herself than to Hiccup, "I think his duties as a Chief took longer than he anticipated, don't you think, Toothless?"

The dragon crooned softly. He hadn't moved, only to readjust his wings and tail, but his head was still resting on Hiccup's legs.

"It'll be a few weeks before we'll be able to go back to the Edge," she said, "I hope Viggo doesn't attack in the mean time. I'm sure Ryker has told his brother all about what happened... what he did..."

She clenched her hand, feeling the anger rise. "If I ever get my hands on him... I swear I'll make him pay."

Toothless cooed, pressing his nose against her clenched fist and she sighed, relaxing it as she looked at him. She rubbed his black nose, smiling sadly.

"They will pay," she said, "Viggo... Ryker... all of them. They'll all pay. I'll see to it personally."

She took Hiccup's hand in her other one, stroking his knuckles. The silence filled the room, the small candle flickering slightly.

"I promise I'll make them pay..." she mumbled absentmindedly.

"T...that's encouraging..." Hiccup's voice, no more than a whisper pulled her from her thoughts, and she almost jumped up.

"Hiccup!" she said, relief washing over her as her eyes met his, "thank Thor, you're awake!"

"Not if you keep yelling like that..." he mumbled, turning his head away and closing his eyes again.

"Right... sorry... sorry..." she said softly as she sat down again, "you must have a headache."

"Everything aches..." he mumbled again, looking at her slightly, and she could see the pain in his green eyes.

"Hiccup..." she started, taking his hand, "why didn't you say anything. You must have known... why didn't you tell me. We thought we'd lose you."

"Didn't want to worry you..." Hiccup mumbled, his voice trailing off.

"Didn't... Hiccup, you always worry us," Astrid said, "you're Hiccup, you do crazy things. You come up with the insane ideas. Of course we're worried."

"That's nice of you," he mumbled, "very nice..."

"You'll be alright," she assured him, "you'll see. We'll make sure of that. Just rest now, okay? Gothi said you need to stay in bed for a few weeks. And when you're well enough to go, we'll make them pay for what they did."

"W...weeks...?" he asked, trying to open his eyes again, "n...no... I can't... Dragon's Edge..."

"Oh Hiccup..." she said softly, "the Edge will be fine, okay? Don't worry about that. Worry about yourself, getting better. That is your top priority right now. Just rest Hiccup, you've certainly earned it."

He tried to protest, she she hushed him gently, stroking his hair with one hand, holding his hand in the other. It wasn't long before he fell back to sleep, his breathing deepening somewhat, and she knew that he would be okay.


End file.
